A confirmed start date for the third series of Sherlock has been announced - for the USA.

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman as Dr John Watson, it will be shown on PBS as part of its Masterpiece strand, beginning on Sunday 19th January at 10pm. It is the first time that its US première has been announced ahead of the UK's. However, regarding its UK transmission, co-creator Steven Moffat was reported to have told Cheltenham Literary Festival last week:

I would place good money on it being at the very end or the very beginning of the year.

His wife, Sue Vertue, said in a statement:

We are hugely excited about this next series of Sherlock, and have worked closely with our partners, Masterpiece and PBS, to bring these episodes to US audiences in January. We promise our fans that Season 3 is worth waiting for.